I real glad. In fact, I celebrating wid Ralphie in St Vincent. He got to be the comeback kid. A year ago written off by the pundits – but them didn’t know that my boy is a top-class political scientist! Congrats to you, Ralph. That second term was rough and you gwine have to wuk hard to deliver in the third term if you want a chance at a four-peat! But why I so happy fuh he and glad Arnhim lost?
I, Market Vendor, could never get out of me head the picture of a Caribbean man in 2009 who say he is the man fuh the future, celebrating in the streets of Kingstown “We win; we win” and what he win? The right to remain tied to the British crown, tied to H.M.’s apron strings, tied to an old colonial master who don’t give too hoots ’bout you! How you could be de man of the future but holding on to the past? Go and come again brother man.
You are not welcome in your monarch’s territory. Some got to get visas to go there and iffing wunnah didn’t give away Mustique decades ago fuh peanuts, royalty might not even know where you are. But you celebrating that you keeping the Queen as head of state – that is why I glad you lost!
These days I am reflecting pun a few other things too. For example, security.
I can walk into Government Headquarters, at least up to the last time the Vendor went there couple months ago and except for signing in and getting a badge, I can go almost anywhere in there, unaccompanied and nobody see any risk, even though this is where we leader does work every day. And that is the way it should be!
So why iffing I get a li’l pick fuh a dinner at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre (LESC) I got to go through all sorts of security when all I doing is eatin’ li’l food? One night a senior citizen had a tiny penknife taken away ’cause knives are prohibited items. So, while people behind did stupesing, the Vendor suggest to the guard that he might want to go into the banquet hall and confiscate all the steak knives cause they could do plenty damage considering that duh had at least 1 000 of them pun the tables!
Now I see that at Ilaro Court new security arrangements require all visitors to public functions to go through scanners and recently at a public event there was a long line of people stretching all the way back into the LESC car park, old people and little children forced to stand in line for long periods while 4 000 people went through the single scanner! And, of course, every piece of metal, jewellery, bottle caps, spoons, belts and other things people carry to a festive occasion went off, thereby requiring a search!
Far be it from a simple vendor to tell any smart civil servant what should or should not be done by way of security at de leader’s home but one thing I want them to know: Bubbajans would never pose a threat, real or imagined to the leader. In fact I would venture to say that the Honourable. P.M. Had 4 000 additional security guards there to protect him. But iffing scanners must be introduced, surely you need ’bout five and the appropriate numbers to man them for big crowds.
Remember, too, security should always be determined by a perceived threat so that at a dub fete we got endless guards and dogs but at Frank Collymore hall there are no guards and only stray dogs!
I Market Vendor gone fuh now. You have a blessed and a wonderful day, yuh hear!
